Business & Tech

iPhone 5 Hits Stores Today

Latest high-tech advancement hits shelves at 8 a.m.

The next generation iPhone is coming out today, Apple announced Wednesday, and there are at least two places in Bethesda to buy it, Bethesda Patch has reported.

The iPhone 5 officially goes on sale at 8 a.m.; East Coast pre-orders began Sept. 14.

Not all stores may not stock the iPhone 5 immediately. However, the Apple Store at Bethesda Row will have the smartphone in stock beginning Sept. 21.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

How many will be available is still unclear.

The Montgomery Mall Apple store also is expecting to have the iPhone 5 today, but an employee there wasn’t sure whether they would be immediately available.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

The new iPhone is thinner and lighter than the last two generations, but it is taller to accommodate a bigger screen. Apple says its processing speed is much faster than its predecessors, as well.

The iPhone 5 starts at $649, but the price may come down to as low as $200 with a cellular plan subscription.

IPhone 5 sales could boost economic growth in the United States by a third of a percentage point during the fourth quarter, J.P.Morgan anticipates. However, NPR's Planet Money says J.P.Morgan's analysis is faulty, predicting that most who splurge on the new product before the end of the year will likely cut back on other spending, making it a zero-sum game.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here